Coffee and Conversation with the #RomanceGems

It's time for Coffee and Conversation with the Romance Gems! So, grab a cup of your favorite beverage and join us.

This month's topic: Social Distancing - Gem's Style

These are very dark days as the world is told to "STAY HOME!" and excel at social distancing to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Fear and uncertainty are everywhere. But so are kindness and caring. We decided to check in with everyone and talk about what we are doing and experiencing. Join us!

“The coronapolcalypse has had a global impact on the economy, mental and physical health, and on everyday lives. I could stress and bite my nails to the quick. I could panic-buy toilet paper like some other idiots I know. I could burn my skin raw with disinfectant rub-downs. I won’t. I will, though, continue doing the things that bring me joy, bliss, and calm my soul: write, bake for the man I love, and cook healthy meals every night so we can both keep well. This will end and when it does, we will still be standing.” ~ Peggy Jaeger

“Well, with Las Vegas being locked down, my book signing was canceled, I'm not working (I teach kindergarten), and I'm home with all 3 children. I'm not home-schooling them by any means, but I am making them work a bit:

Laura Hunsaker's Book Character Day

Day 1: Social Distancing-Everyone got up at normal times and did whatever online or paper homework they had from last week.
Day 2: More Social Distancing with bike rides, hikes with the dogs, and the school district has some on-line work they can do.
Day 3: Actual lock-down of the city. More on-line work. Kids are staying up later and sleeping in later. I gave one kid a tardy.
Day 4: One kid got dress coded since she didn't have pants on when she came downstairs
Day 5: It's pajama day! All kids can stay in their pjs! Even the teacher can! ;)
Day 6: Umm...we have Honors Chores, Yard Work 101, and AP Laundry, and I think the kids are over it.
Day 7: It's another Pajama Day!
Day 8: Home Ec today. I taught them how to sew a button on. Now they're playing video games.
Day 9: We had a science experiment because the 12-year-old put dish soap in the dish washer instead of detergent.
Day 10: Dress as your favorite book character day! The teacher is the only one who dressed up.
We have more days to go...tell me what you're doing!” ~ Laura Hunsaker

“The week of March 8 was pretty much normal for me. I went to doctor’s appointments, the grocery, kept grandkids and took my riding lesson. My husband, who’s high risk, stayed home. The week of March 16 everything changed. My doctor advised me not to keep grandkids and told us both to stay home. I cancelled riding lessons, stopped going to the grocery, and we started ordering food online. I don’t mind staying home, but my W.I.P. (work in progress) has taken a hit. I can’t concentrate. Let’s hope my characters and I can pull together to finish the book!” ~ Jan Scarbrough


“I expect to come out of this self-isolation fat and happy. I can’t go to the gym, which is not a hardship since I didn’t inherit the compulsion-to-work-out gene and really never look forward to going. And while I enjoy baking, I normally limit my indulgence because I prefer my backside not mirror the size and shape of my desk chair where it spends most of every day. Since I can’t go out, it seems okay to make special treats like my favorite breakfast of all times, German Pancakes. Recipe below.

"I’m offering a free novella to anyone who signs up for my VIP Readers’ Newsletter."
~ Kathleen Lawless

Kathleen's No-fail German Pancakes

Kathleen's No-fail German Pancakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray or grease 2 9” round cake pans.
Beat 4 eggs well in the blender.
Add 1 Tbsp sugar and 1 Tbsp butter. Blend some more. You can not overbeat!
Add 2/3 cup of flour and 2/3 cup of milk. (in stages is best. I do flour, milk, flour, milk).
Blend the heck out of it.
Make sure the oven is hot (keep blending if it’s not) before you divide the batter into the 2 pans and slide into the oven.
Bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 10 minutes longer. Top with your favorite butter, fruit, syrup, jam or icing sugar combo.

“The last week or so I've been getting to know my 'co-workers' a bit better. One likes to hog the chair next to me so no one else can sit down. And the other one hangs out by the water cooler all the time. Me, I've been downloading tons of free and 99c books, looking for new-to-me authors. I may have found a few!”
~ Kari Lemor

“Solitude. You’d think a writer would be able to handle being home all the time. By choice, sure. Otherwise, not so much. I’ve been keeping busy with writing, creating book trailers, and my apartment has never been more organized. I actually managed to get rid of a lifetime supply of hotel soaps, shampoos and conditioners by making care packages for my neighbors.

Nancy Fraser's Grandson

"I miss my grandchildren, but they connect with me often through Facebook, talk or text. I hear most often from the youngest. And, like the saying goes ... “out of the mouths of babes”. Who better to put social isolation in perspective than a six year old?

"I asked him what he’d done today to keep busy and he informed me that he’d been allowed to go outside and that he'd shoveled the last of the snow off their backyard patio. I was about to say, “Good job”, when he continued. “Don’t worry, Grandma. I shut the door tight so the virus wouldn’t get inside.”

"Needless to say, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Or, maybe a bit of both. I have faith we will get through this and when the day comes that we can socialize again, I intend to smother each of the five with some quality grandma hugs and kisses!

"Best wishes to everyone. Please stay safe.” ~ Nancy Fraser

“Like many, my thoughts and emotions are riding a roller coaster. Too much to absorb, so much fear, hopes and prayers non-stop. I watch the news and read important information. A glimmer of good news? Nope. Maybe. Nope. Yikes!

“I keep busy as we stay home for the good of all. I finished a great book by one of our Romance Gems – Lucinda Race’s Old and New. Highly recommend it! Mr. H and I prepped gardens and raked, enjoying New England’s early spring weather. Extra care is given to preparing meals, since I find myself with more time than I’ve had in decades. We even dusted off the old bread machine, and now Darling Daughter is a bread master! Our dogs are over-the-moon happy with this slowed-down pace. Family movie nights and togetherness are THE BEST! But then I watch the news again or see a post, and it all comes racing back.

“Saw a neighbor, playing with his young son in their yard. Shrieks of delight as monster-dad gave chase, their old dog in hot pursuit with a Frisbee. The family was rarely home because of work and school. And the knot around my heart loosens a bit. Up the roller coaster climbs…

“We WILL get through this together—it’s the only way—and then I’m taking my family to Disney World for some good rides.” ~ Kathryn Hills

Liz Flaherty - Sewing Masks

“Local healthcare facilities put out a call for surgical masks and those of us who sew are responding. Social distancing has been easy for me, but not feeling useful has not, so I'm grateful to be able to do this.

“My newspaper column was about the virus this week. You can read it here.”  ~ Liz Flaherty


"We recently traveled home from Portugal where we spent two glorious months in the sunshine. Now, we're happily home and self-isolating. Life has changed, but all is not lost! Twitter is a kinder place than I remember before we left. Air is cleaner, water is clearer, and people's resilience is showing up in interesting ways. I've learned how to make antiseptic wipes and even a face mask out of paper towels! From live streaming of events from singers' homes, police singing in the street to lonely citizens to celebrating all the people who're doing their jobs in spite of being just as afraid as the rest of us. We're gonna make it, people and we may just have a better appreciation of us."

Here's a little deal to help ease the stress: Whole Lot O' Love (The Brantons Book 3) ~ Bonnie Edwards

“How are you coping with today’s events? I’m an introvert, so being away from my day-job, at home with my poodle, isn’t as difficult as it would be for an extrovert. It is, however, challenging.
I’m cleaning and organizing. Boring? Boring and harmless? Well, under normal circumstances I’m a wee bit obsessive (colored paper clips, clamps, pens, organizers and calendars (yes, plural).

“Now, picture me in my kitchen. I’ve purged all the unused items for donation, cleaned the counters tops and moved on to the fridge. I lined all the fridge shelves, reorganized the cupboards, spice rack, and pantry-where I found my empty bell jars. And my Brother labeler. Which led to cooking soups, chili (bell jars can be frozen, too) pancake batter, quiche...

“…until sitting down to write each evening.

“Please take care of yourself, your loved ones, and neighbors. Make use of food stuff in your cupboards. Dried beans into soup or chili or mix up yeast-free soda bread. Also, enjoy a novel—a mini vacation, an adventure while sipping your coffee and listening to uplifting music.” ~ Connie Vines

Lucinda Race's Office Mates

“During these next few weeks, I’ll be working from home for the day job where I’m a marketing manager. I have two new co-workers who for the most part are quiet. Initially I tried to have them keep their normal routine but that lasted about a half a minute. Jasper the cream mini-doxie sounded like a baby crying in the other room. So, I gathered up the puppy bed from the living room and brought it to the office. He happily pranced, with his baby, into the office and settled in like he had been working with me forever. Even now as I write this he is giving me a grumble and his sweet light brown eyes trying to guilt me into picking him up. Oh, and now he’s started sneezing which means he has moved onto the, I’m desperate for your kisses Mommy.

“So, of course I had to stop pick up the little man and give him snuggles. The other “co-worker” Griffin, just does his own thing. No time for kisses and snuggles. Life is on his terms he’s more like a cat.

“I’m happy to work in the home office with my two sweet office mates even with the occasional bark and grumble at some random sound outside. Now if the weather would cooperate and I could open a window, well that might ensure new barking jags from the pups. Oh well, no complaints here. Life is good.” ~ Lucinda Race

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Okay, it's your turn to join the conversation! Add your comments below or send via email through the "contact us” link on the bottom of the left sidebar. You can also make suggestions on what you'd like to discuss here in the future.

Thanks for joining us. Most important... Stay safe and be well!

~ The Romance Gems ~

Please join us in celebrating our March promotion

- Lucky in Love!

Enter our Contest!

March Prizes

1st Prize: $20.00 Amazon Gift Card

2nd Prize: $10.00 Amazon Gift Card

Best of luck to everyone!

Our Leprechaun by Kathryn Hills #RomanceGems

I’m at a loss for words these days. THAT never happens. Staring at a blank screen I wondered… What shall I talk about on my blog day? With St. Patrick’s Day and the first day of spring behind us—unremarkable, and rightly so with this awful virus—and so many people home with kids, I thought… Maybe I could tell you a family story? So, pull up a chair.

We have one child, an incredible daughter, who is now in her mid-twenties. When she was young, she set our home “on its ear”. It all began when she was maybe four, in preschool, and she had a lovely teacher named Mrs. Connelley. As you may surmise, Mrs. Connelley was of Irish descent, and she brought her love of the Emerald Isle to her tiny students. That’s charming, you might say. And it truly was! The children made shamrock crafts, colored rainbows and pots of gold, made Leprechauns hats and shoes, all in anticipation of St. Patrick’s Day. On the actual day, everyone was excited to enter the classrooms and enchanted find green glittery Leprechaun footprints on the floors and up the walls. Even on the ceilings! MAGIC had come to their little corner of the world, and our daughter was overjoyed.

Fast forward to March of first or second grade. (It’s a long time ago, so I’m not exactly certain which) Ever since Mrs. Connelley introduced our daughter to the leprechaun back in preschool, the wee sprite visited our home on St. Patrick’s Day. Poof! Like fairy magic, chocolate coins appeared, mostly around decorations our daughter still crafted with great care. This leprechaun didn’t walk on walls or ceilings. However, he was generous with his chocolate coins. Thoughtful, too, because he hid them in high places since we had dogs. And, it didn’t matter to him our family hailed from countries other than Ireland. Our daughter’s enthusiasm had helped him find us. She was certain.

I was always happily “surprised” by the chocolate treasure our girl hauled in each St. Patrick’s Day morning. Being of Swedish and German ancestry, I’d never experienced the joy of a leprechaun visit. Mr. H’s family is French-Canadian/British and Italian, so no leprechauns there either. Yet Mrs. Connelley’s and our daughter’s hopeful magic was strong stuff, and that made it super-fun for all of us.

The trouble… or rather the setting on the ear part… came when other children questioned, “Why did a leprechaun come to your house and not mine?” Some found chocolate coins or little treasures, but most didn’t. It appeared the leprechaun magic only worked for a select few. “That’s not fair,” our daughter decreed, adding, “Why would he leave someone out and make them sad?”

I’ve drawn a blank as to what my answer was. I think I blacked out. Parental fear is a real thing, people! I DO remember the angry mother who stopped me at the entrance to school the next day. “Why the HELL did you do the leprechaun? We’re Irish, and we don’t even do the leprechaun! Now I have to…*grumble*grumble*grumble grumble*…As if the damn bunny isn’t enough…*grumble*grumble*grumble*grumble*…” Thankfully, the woman huffed and stomped away without further incident.

You see, the Hills women have been stirring up mischief for a very long time. Innocently, but still…*wink* For the record, my daughter’s leprechaun is ALWAYS welcome in our home! Any reason to find joy and celebrate childhood, springtime, and fairy magic.

Thanks for reading. Perhaps someday I’ll tell you the story of “the citizens.” Another day. Until next time… I wish you, and all those you love, good health, lasting peace, and real hope during these trying times.

~ Kathryn

BIG NEWS! My Time Traveler's Journey Series is on SALE!

Book One - Haunting Highland House - is available now for $0.99 in digital formats. Hellfire and Handbaskets - Book Two - will go on sale in two weeks. 

That gives you time to begin your journey! 

Here's a link for Amazon, but both books will also be available at the same price 

from Barnes & Noble and iBooks.

Please join us in celebrating our March promotion
- Lucky in Love!

Enter our Contest!

March Prizes

1st Prize: $20.00 Amazon Gift Card

2nd Prize: $10.00 Amazon Gift Card

Best of luck to everyone!

Why We Love LOVE! @karilemor #RomanceGems

📚   💖    📚    💖   📚    💖    📚    💖   📚

Romance novels often get a bad rap. Sappy. Mommy porn. Cliché, Second rate fiction. Bargain bin of literature. Formulaic. It drives me crazy when I hear it called any of these things.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been at a book expo or event and when I talk to people walking by, the response is a nose in the air and “Oh, I don’t read that.”

I always want to say, “Why not? We could all use a bit more love in our lives.” But I usually don’t because the person has already scurried quickly past.

So why do I read (and write) romance if so many people look down upon it? I thought this meme explained it so well.

Romance has so many wonderful things in it. Two people who are fighting obstacles that seem too high or too hard to get through or around. But they give it everything they've got and manage to find a way to be together.  Why wouldn't we all want to read a story like this?








I also found some amazing quotes on love that are meaningful to me:

Love recognizes no barriers - Maya Angelou

Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies - Aristotle

We are most alive when we’re in love - John Updike

Love is friendship that has caught fire - Ann Landers

A simple “I love you” means more than money - Frank Sinatra

Everything I do, I do it for you - Bryan Adams

If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you - Winnie the Pooh

You know you’re in love when you can’t sleep because the reality is finally better than your dreams - Dr. Seuss

When you love someone, you love them as they are, and not as you’d like them to be - Leo Tolstoy

I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you - Roy Croft

You know it’s love when all you want is that person to be happy, even if you’re not part of that happiness - Julia Roberts

 💕   💕  💕  💕  💕

Why do you love reading romance?  Comment below for a chance to win this month’s prizes.

And make sure to check out the 1st book in my Storms of New England series, 

ELUSIVE DREAMS. 
It’s on sale for only 99 cents - 

but the sale ends tonight so get it fast!

Our March Rafflecopter  (Click Here) has another month of Amazon Gift Card prizes. Be sure to enter often to improve your chances of winning. Please tell your friends about Romance Gems—our Authors, our books, our blog posts, and our monthly giveaway.

Pushing My Luck by @SatinRussell #RomanceGems

This Friday, I’m flying to the West Coast to give a presentation to the San Francisco RWA chapter. I’ve given this talk before, but this is the first time I’ve had someone pay for me to fly across country.

Needless to say, I’ve been excited to go. That is, I was excited up until about two weeks ago…

With all the news about COVID-19, I have to admit, I’ve been questioning whether I should make this trip. It wouldn’t be such a concern, except Northern California and the Bay State Area happen to be one of the hot spots in our country right now.

I’ve been doing everything I can to read up on the subject to try and figure out what is fact and what is hype. My research shows that things are just starting to heat up in the States. We’re not in full-swing, pandemic mode yet.

I have a friend who lives in the city that registered for the course I’m giving. I asked him what it was really like over there and he said not much has changed. People seem to be taking it all in stride.

Most of the experts have been saying you can mitigate the risks if you wash your hands and don’t touch your face. However, being cramped in an airplane with lots of people still seems like a bad idea.

But I want to go!

And I already paid for the non-refundable hotel room to stay an extra day.

And I have plans to hang out with friends…

My husband has been giving me side-eye about this trip for nearly two weeks because of this damn disease. And I really can’t blame him. Contrary to what some officials say – this is NOT the flu.

I’m hoping that I can get in and get out before things really start to heat up. Unfortunately, I do have a friend who is immune-compromised. So, for her sake, I will be avoiding her for at least two weeks after I get back. Just in case.

All of this is to say – WISH ME LUCK!

(I’m gonna need it.)

Hey! You know what’s great to stock up on for the impending quarantine? Books!

Liz Harper has some pretty rotten luck in the beginning of the book, but it turns out all right for her in the end. Pick up your copy of Secret Need today!

How about you? Are YOU feeling lucky? If so, be sure to enter our March Rafflecopter Contest for a chance to win one of TWO Amazon gift cards.

For more details, check our MONTHLY GIVEAWAY page.

The Cool Month of March by Nora LeDuc #RomanceGems

Celebrate!

Many say March comes in like a lion, but I say it comes in like a New Year. At last, a season that excites everyone after the storms and frigid temperatures. (My apologies to the warm weather people.) Every day I gaze out at the shrinking snowbanks searching for signs of the hibernating grass. I can never declare that spring is officially here until the bank by my driveway built by the snowplow shrinks away. Then, it’s celebration time.

Town Meeting—note blue jeans are required (g)

As I travel around my small town, I spy the town meeting and school district signs. They have sprouted up almost overnight and decorate the street corners and yards of my neighbors. It's still not warm enough to shed my winter coat, but I'm encouraged when I spot the plastic tubing for the future syrup. These pipelines run from maple tree to maple tree on the edge of the woods.There's something about the lines and the familiar sap buckets catching the drip-drip-drip that reassures and promises better weather ahead. In case you didn't know, the liquid flows when the daytime temperatures rise above freezing. Of course, the night temperature must fall below 32 degrees, but we're inside snug and toasty by then.

My spring flower bulbs from Breck’s arrive.

Another exciting moment is when my Breck's Flower order arrives. Each winter, the nursery convinces me with their beautiful catalog I too can grow flowers that look like the ones in their pictures. Sure, I can! I choose the prettiest bloomers and dream of them outside my house. Unfortunately, March weather is often unpredictable and many purchases have arrived after a nor'easter. Yes, that's one of my deliveries in the picture.

Yup, not quite time to go in the ground.

Finally, I take a hard look at my writing production. After a winter of tapping away on my laptop, it’s time to assess my newest creation. I hope my book will entertain many readers with hours of happiness that warm your heart.

Until we meet again, happy reading, my friends.

My latest release Midnight Girl. 

~ ~ ~

LUCK O' THE IRISH Giveaway: 3 Ways to Win

Our March Giveaway is in full swing. See all the prizes on the Monthly Giveaway page.

Comment & Win
Leave a comment on any post in March + Your Email Addy—written out, i.e. Mary at yahoo dot com. (We need your email to verify you are who you say you are and to contact you.)

The more comments you make; the greater your chance of winning. Winner selected by random draw from eligible entries.

Prizes: $5.00 Amazon Gift Card at the end of each week beginning March 8 for a total of 4 Amazon Gift Cards.

Friends Tell Friends

To enter, send your friends to visit us. When your friend visits and reads a post, she should (1) leave a comment with her email addy written out (2) leave the name and email of the friend who referred her. (Readers, coordinate this with your friend.)

Both names/emails will be entered in Friends Tell Friends Giveaway. The more friends you bring; the greater your chances of winning. Winner selected by random draw from eligible entries at end of March.

Luck O' The Irish Rafflecopter

1st Grand Prize Winner: The Honor of Naming a Female Character in an Author's upcoming Book plus $10.00 Amazon Gift Card.

2nd Grand Prize Winner: The Honor of Naming a Male Character in an Author's upcoming Book plus $10.00 Amazon Gift Card.

Enter the Rafflecopter and the other Giveaways often. The more you enter; the better your chances to win.

End of an Adventure OR...?? by @KariLemor #RomanceGems

Many of you know I’ve been traveling in an RV the last five months with my husband. (If you didn’t know, check out my Instagram to see all the places we’ve been).  We’ve seen some really cool stuff and done exciting things! Part of the reason we went on this trip was to find a winter home. While living in New England has been a wonderful experience for us, we’ve gotten old and grouchy and really don’t like the cold or shoveling anymore.

Bridge of Lions

I had never thought of myself as a Florida person – my hair is too prone to frizz in the humid weather, but another southern place would be fine. Until we happened upon St. Augustine in mid-December. We absolutely fell in love with the town. Rich in history. Gorgeous architecture. Beaches. Shops. And the temperature in the winter was warm without being too hot. At the northeastern part of the state, it seemed ideal.

After touring the rest of Florida, Mississippi, New Orleans and then exploring the Bayous of Louisiana, we decided to go back to St. Augustine and check out real estate. Wow! Better than the prices in New England. But we didn’t want to make a rash decision. So we found this adorable apartment to rent. It’s over a hundred years old, was one of the original hospitals in town, and it’s on the beautiful Matanzas River (near where it empties into the ocean) a few steps from the Bridge of Lions. Sold! Or rented!

And as much as traveling was quite an adventure, I have to admit I’m ready to be in one place for a while. Ready to get back to a regular writing schedule that didn't get interrupted by driving to the next exciting place. Here’s a few things I’m looking forward to:

A REAL shower where I can stand up and don’t have to hold the nozzle or the water doesn't run out!  And an actual flush toilet!!  Woo hoo! That’s cause for celebration!

And I now have a full kitchen. It’s not huge but when compared to a stove and small sink next to the living room couch, yup, I’m stoked!!

Some might say it’s too bad my adventure has ended. But for me, this new amazing town, and the rich history and life here, plus being a full time author now, could be the beginning of a brand-new adventure!  

Let it begin!

CHECK below as Running Target and Fatal Evidence (Love on the Line) are currently ONLY 99c!!

Here’s where you can stalk me:

Website: https://www.karilemor.com/   *sign up for my mailing list to get up to date info or freebies*

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Karilemorauthor/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/karilemor

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/karilemor/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/karilemorauthor/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9756283.Kari_Lemor

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kari-lemor

Amazon Author page:  https://www.amazon.com/Kari-Lemor/e/B00ON2YDI6/

Kensington Author Page:  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/31828

Love on the Line – 3 books

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Line-3-Book/dp/B071NSM484/

LUCK O' THE IRISH Giveaway: 3 Ways to Win 

Our March Giveaway is in full swing. See all the prizes on the Monthly Giveaway page.


Comment & Win

Leave a comment on any post in March + Your Email Addy—written out, i.e. Mary at yahoo dot com. (We need your email to verify you are who you say you are and to contact you.)

The more comments you make; the greater your chance of winning. Winner selected by random draw from eligible entries.

Prizes: $5.00 Amazon Gift Card at the end of each week beginning March 8 for a total of 4 Amazon Gift Cards.

1 of the Friends Tell Friends Prizes

Friends Tell Friends

To enter, send your friends to visit us. When your friend visits and reads a post, she should (1) leave a comment with her email addy written out (2) leave the name and email of the friend who referred her. (Readers, coordinate this with your friend.)

Both names/emails will be entered in Friends Tell Friends Giveaway. The more friends you bring; the greater your chances of winning. Winner selected by random draw from eligible entries at end of March.

Prizes: Romance Readers Tee & Audiobook by Nancy Fraser 

Luck O' The Irish Rafflecopter

Be a Star—Name a Character

1st Grand Prize Winner

The Honor of Naming a Female Character in an Author's upcoming Book plus $10.00 Amazon Gift Card.

2nd Grand Prize Winner

The Honor of Naming a Male Character in an Author's upcoming Book plus $10.00 Amazon Gift Card.

Other Rafflecopter Prizes are shown on the Monthly Giveaway.

Enter the Rafflecopter and the other Giveaways often. The more you enter; the better your chances to win.

Why Every Writer Should Own a Dog By Connie Vines

Gertrude Stein claimed the water-drinking patterns of her dog, named Basket, taught her the difference between sentences and paragraphs in writing.

add a comment on the contest blog 

Steven King’s dog was banned from Pet Co.

I laughed when I read Steven King’s tweet and looked at the photo of his unrepentant dog.  Every dog owner has ‘been there’.

Dogs are wonderful companions, the perfect literary critic, and teach us about love, loss, relationships, and how to live each moment of life in joyful abandonment.

I look at my own relationship with the dogs who have touched by life.  Several AKC pedigree pets:  Jacques, my miniature black poodle, from my childhood and my constant companion.  Inca, my basenji whose yodel (they do not bark) unnerved the neighbors. Justine, my rescued greyhound, who was the ‘mommy’ assistant for my two young sons.

More recently my dogs have been lost or re-homed.  Buddy a little chiweenie (chihuahua and dachshund) who passed away at the age of 10 years. And my current ‘sweet-heart’, Chanel, a toy poodle-mix.

If you aren’t a pet owner, you may not understand the bond.  However, if you have a dog, oh the stories you can, and will, tell!

What better way to share the joy of a living with such a treasured soul than to her/he leave paw-prints on the hearts of your readers?

Jacques would steal a biscuit from the table and hide it between the couch cushions. If you left your bathwater unattended, he would jump into the tub for a swim.

Justine, sounded like a horse when she ran (hooves on packed earth), spent most of her time resting on the living room love-seat.  She wore a hat and sunglasses when we went for walks. She tattled on my child and stacked boxes of Rice-a-Roni in the living room.

Buddy was my husband’s side-kick and had a snarky-personality (but we loved him anyway).
Chanel, is a sweetie and loves to wear a sweater in the winter and play in the rain.  She’s likes to talk to her humans.  She wants a hug before bed time and kiss on the head when she wakes up.

How do you feel about pets in the stories you read?

What is your fondest memory of your pet?

What does your pet do that makes you nuts?

What is/was your favorite pet?

Happy Reading,

Connie

my website

Chanel enjoying the SoCal sun!

Me in my dog persona on Saturday morning

Book 2, Rodeo Romance Series